Beer helps make clean electricity.

If the Aussies can make electricity from beer byproducts, why can't the rest of us?

CANBERRA, Australia -- Scientists and Australian beer maker Foster's are teaming up to generate clean energy from brewery waste water -- by using sugar-consuming bacteria.

The experimental technology was unveiled Wednesday by scientists at Australia's University of Queensland, which was given a $115,000 state government grant to install a microbial fuel cell at a Foster's Group brewery near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland state.

Well that is an interesting bit of technology, but also a byproduct of beer and popular in Australia is Vegemite, a salty dark spread that is mostly toxic in my opinion. The worst tasting stuff known to man.

Well that is an interesting bit of technology, but also a byproduct of beer and popular in Australia is Vegemite, a salty dark spread that is mostly toxic in my opinion. The worst tasting stuff known to man.

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Truely unbearable stuff. I would be more likely to eat grubbs than taste that stuff again. Grubbs certainly couldn't be any worse.

Water + sugar + brewer's yeast = alcohol/water mix. Add a simple reflux still to separate the water and alochol and you have a mighty fine and clean burning fuel for your car.

And, if you are very careful during the brewing and distilling process and your equipment is clean, you also have 200 proof alcohol suitable for recreational drinking. (Can you say moonshine?)

It's is my understanding that newer cars with fuel injection and onboard computers can run straight alcohol or gas/acohol blends with no mods. The power is down a little but alcohol burns cleaner than gas and also much cooler. Alcohol is also not volatile like gas. (Indy cars have run alcohol for years because it will not explode like gas).

With a backyard still you can produce 10-20 gallons a week at a cost of less than $2/gallon.

I'm trying to talk the little lady into letting me shell out about a grand for the equipment. If I do succeed, I'll keep you posted.